Coke quenching apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for quenching coke without polluting the surrounding atmosphere, wherein a coke guide carriage has a conveyor-belt floor for transferring coke from an oven to a quench car through a tubular guide, and the quench car being contained within a hood having top, end, and side walls for confining smoke, fumes, and dust generated by the movement of the coke from the oven to the quench car; the hood including a sprinkling system for spraying water onto the coke in the quench car and the hood including vent means in the top wall which vent means includes a stack having a gas inlet end that is enclosed within a gas plenum chamber having a water sprinkling system therein for providing a curtain of water around the inlet end for washing the gas as it enters the stack, whereby the conveyor belt, the sprinkling system and the vent cooperate to minimize any smoke and dust created.

iilieelmert Get, M, 1973 [54] (30KB QUENQHHNG APPARATUS PrimaryExaminer-Norman Yudkoff [75] Inventor: Kurt Riecinert, Bochum, GermanyAssistant Examiner-David Edwards [73] Assigneey C (m0 & Qomp G m b HAttorney-Brown, Murray, Flick & lPeclcham Bochum, Germany 22 F] d K 5 17 [57] ABSTRACT 1 1e Y 1 9 1 Apparatus for quenching coke withoutpolluting the [21] Appl. No.: 162,822 surrounding atmosphere, wherein acoke guide carriage has a conveyor-belt floor for transferring coke [30]Foreign Appuimfimm Priority Data from an oven to a quench car through atubular guide,

and the quench car being contained within a hood Aug. 3, 1970 Germany P20 38 495.6 having top end and side walls for confining Smoke 7 g g Y HV V V fumes, and dust generated by the movement of the 52 us. Cl 202/227202/263 214/18 R F Oven the quemhFari [51] limit. Cl. (51Gb 39/08eluding a sprinkling System for Spraymg Water P the 58 Field mi Search2027227 230 the quench i the f vent 263 262, 214/18 means in the topwall which vent means includes a stack having a gas inlet end that isenclosed within a g V V gas plenum chamber having a water sprinklingsystem therein for providing a curtain of water around the [56]Refierences canted inlet end for washing the gas as it enters the stack,

UNITED STATES PATENTS whereby the conveyor belt, the sprinkling systemand 3,547,782 12/1970 Schon 202/227 he ven coop rate to minimize anymoke and dust 3,676,305 7/1972 Cremer 202/263 created.

Patented Oct. 16, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet l //v VEN TOR. KUR r R/ECHER rAttorneys Patented Oct. 16, 1973' I 3,766,018

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/VVE/VTOR. KURT R/ECHERT By fi/MW W W MM1,

Attorneys COIIIE QUENICIIINIG APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Field of the Invention DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shownin FIGS. I and 2, a coke oven which is part This invention relates toapparatus for discharging of a plurality of similar ovens in a batteryof by-product and quenching coke from by-product coke ovens, and moreparticularly it pertains to a system for sprinkling water on the cokeand on smoke and dust generated thereby for minimizing air pollution.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the by-product type of coke ovensafter the coke is prepared it is discharged from the ovens through acoke guide and into a quench car by which the incandescent coke istransferred to a quenching tower. During that discharge operation and asubsequent quenching there is considerable pollution of the atmospheredue to coke fumes, dust as well as steam which under prior procedureswere permitted to befoul the atmosphere and surrounding things withimpunity.

The current trend to improve man s environment has resulted in manydevices for the abatement of noxious smoke fumes, and dust. Prior knowndevices have been impractical and have not really solved the problems ofpollution of the environment by coking plants.

Associated with the foregoing has been the problem of violent combustionwhich occurs in the coke as soon as it is discharged from the reducingatmosphere of the coke oven and enters the air. Normally, the combustioncontinues until the quench car arrives at the quenching tower whereabundant quantities of water quench the coke combustion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has been found in accordance with thisinvention that the foregoing problems may be overcome by containing theincandescent coke as it is discharged from a coke oven within asmoke-confining hood which restricts the heretofore unlimiteddissemination of smoke and dust, reduces the amount of air that thatcontacts the coke, and sprays quenching water on the coke as soon as itenters the quench car.

Moreover, the apparatus includes means for minimizing the amount ofsmoke and dust incurred during the collapse of the coke mass as it isdischarged from the oven and falls into the quench car as well as meansfor washing all traces of smoke, noxious fumes, and dust from the air asit is discharged from the smokeconfining hood.

The advantage of the apparatus of the present invention is that not onlyis the air cleaned to remove noxious fumes and dust before it isdischarged from the hood, but the amount of dust and smoke is minimizeddue to themanner in which the coke is conveyed from the oven to thequench car; that is, with a minimum of precipitous collapse immediatelyupon discharge from the oven chamber, a more gradual breakdown of thecake-like mass of coke occurs, whereby smoke and dust are minimized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an elevational view, partlyin section, of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line II-II of FIG. Iand showing coke being discharged from an oven and into a quench car;and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

coke ovens is generally indicated at III. A so-called pusher ordischarge ram I2 is used for pushing a cakelike mass of coke I4 from theoven Ill through a coke guide I6 and into a quench car 16, the latter ofwhich is enclosed within an elongated hood 20 (FIG. I) which is slightlylonger than the quench car Iii.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2, the coke guide I6 is mounted on acarriage 22 which travels along a track 24 on a platform 26 in front ofa battery of coke ovens 28 (FIG. I). The coke guide I6 is a tubularmember through which the coke I4 passes and is preferably rectangular incross section. The end of the coke guide 116 adjacent to the front wallof the battery 26 of coke ovens has suitable means for engaging theframe of the oven in a substantially air-tight manner. Moreparticularly, the coke guide I6 includes a pair of telescoping tubularsections 30 and 32, the latter of which after being brought into properalignment with the oven It) to be discharged by travel of the carriage22 is moved to the right (as viewed in FIG. 2) and brought intosubstantial airtight contact with the frame of the oven. The location ofthe telescoping section 32 in contact with the oven I0 is shown moreparticularly at 33 in FIG. 3.

In addition, the coke guide I6 may be an integral part of the hood 20 orthe coke guide may be a vehicle separate therefrom. Where the coke guideI6 is an integral part of the hood 20, the telescoping section 36 isattached to and extends outwardly from a side wall 34 of the hood inwhich wall an opening 36 (FIG. 2) is provided for communication betweenthe interior of the coke guide and the hood. The floor of the interiorof the coke guide I6 includes a plate-type conveyor belt 38 whichextends between and around driven rollers 40, the upper portion of whichbelt travels to the left as shown in FIG. 2 for moving the coke I4through the sections 36 and 32 and onto the sloping bottom 42 of thequench car I8. The roof of the section 36 slopes downwardly at 44 tominimize the space within the chamber formed by the coke guide I6. Apendulum flap 46 suspends from the top of the opening 36. The coke I4collapses from its higher level within the oven Id due to the action ofthe plate conveyor belt 36. The flap 46 serves as a baffle for the cokeand limits the smoke, steam, and dust which develop within the hood 20from flowing into the chamber of the coke guide.

The quench car I8 having wheels 48 is mounted on tracks 50 which tracksare parallel to the battery of ovens 28 and which are located at a levelbelow that of the tracks 24. Accordingly, as it is discharged by thepusher or ram I2 the coke I4 is moved through the coke guide I6 and onthe plate conveyor belt 33% into the quench car I8, where a water 52 issprayed from nozzles 54.

The hood 26 includes spaced vertical side walls 56 and 34 as well as atop wall 66 with sloping end portions 62 and 64 as well as opposite endwalls 66 and 66. The walls 34, 56, -66 form a hood chamber III in whichsmoke, fumes, dust and steam, arising from the sprayed coke I4, isconfined and prevented from escaping into the surrounding atmosphereuntil after it has been cleaned. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower edge ofthe side wall 56 is supported on spaced wheels '72 which travel on arail 74 which is mounted on a wall 76. The side wall 34 is supported inone of two ways.

As was stated above, the coke guide 16 may be an integral part of thehood 20 in which case the telescoping section 30 is attached to the sidewall 34 around the opening 36, and the right side of the hood 20 (FIG.2) is attached to the carriage 22 by spaced connecting members, such asreinforcing I-beams 78, in which case a portion of the weight of thehood is borne by the carriage 22 which has wheels 80 which are supportedby the tracks 24. Where the coke guide 16 is a vehicle separate from thehood, alternate support means are required. For that alternative, theright side wall 34 is supported on wheels 80 that travel on a track 82in a manner similar to the wheels 72 and track 74 at the lower end ofthe left side wall 56. The wheels 80, the track 82 and a support wall84, are shown in broken lines as alternative support means for the hood.With the alternate support means, the telescoping section 30 of the cokeguide 16 is separate from the side wall 34, but is sufficientlyproximate thereto as to provide a snug, substantially air-tightconnection between the interior of the coke guide section 30 and, theopening 36 in the side wall.

At the upper portion of the hood 20, vent means are provided for thegases within the hood chamber 70 which means include a stack 86, acentrifugal separator or fan 88, a boxlike plenum chamber 90, andsprinkling means 92 within the chamber for spraying a water curtain 94for washing the gas before it enters the stack 86. More particularly,the lower open end 96 of the stack 86 is disposed within the plenumchamber 90 and spaced above a bottom wall 98, the periphery of whichincludes a trough 100 for gathering water from the water curtain 94during operation of the flue. In addition, (FIGS. 1 and 3) twoperforated partitions 102 are provided to facilitate the filtering ofdust from the gases in the hood which gases enter the plenum chamber 90.A suction created in the plenum chamber 90 by the fan 88 pulls thesmoke-filled air through the water curtain 94 and the air is cleanedbefore it enters the stack 86.

A drain 104 extends from the trough 100 to a trough 106 at the lower endof the support wall 76 which trough 106 extends continuously along thepath of travel of the hood 20. Means for supplying water to thesprinkling means 92 as well as the nozzles 54 include supply pipes 108and 110, as well as a pump 112 and the lower end of the conduit 108extends into a water trough 114 which is likewise coextensive with thepath of travel of the hood 20.

In order to distribute the coke evenly over the entire length of thequench car 18, the car is moved slowly during the discharge process ofcoke 14 from the oven and a portion of the car usually passes under andbeyond one end of the hood during the discharge process, For thatreason, similar pendulum flaps 116 are provided along the lower edges ofthe end walls 66 and 68 which flaps permit movement of the car in themanner described while providing additional smoke-confining walls.

In operation, the smoke and dust problem which is ordinarily aconcomitant part of the coke discharge and quenching operation issubstantially eliminated. Although the extent of sprinkling of the cokeonto the hood is usually sufficient only to the point at which no smokeforms and no violent combustion occurs, sufficient quenching may occurto completely quench the mass of coke under the hood. The total time forquenching one discharge of coke from an oven is usually three minutes.However, intermittent or partial quenching may be used where moreaccurate dosing of the total water quantity is used.

At the same time, the device provides a conveyor belt by which thecake-like mass of coke as it issues from the oven is not only conveyedmore expediently to the quench car but is broken up into smaller piecesmore rapidly due to its greater speed of movement, such as three or fourtimes that of the pusher or ram 12, and thereby induces a collapse ofthe coke within the coke guide as it falls into the quench car. As aresult, the coke drops over a more gradual slope into the quench car andthereby creates less smoke and dust.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the hot coke within the quench car is disposedbelow the hood as well as the sprinkling means, the combustion of thecoke is minimal and theres a corresponding reduction in smoke andnoxious fumes. The resulting smoke and fumes are washed from the air asit passes through the water curtain and flue.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certainspecific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made tosuit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for preventing air pollution during discharge of coke fromcoke ovens disposed side-by-side in a row, comprising a carriage movablealong the row of ovens, a quench car movable along a path of travelparallel to and on the side of the carriage opposite that of the row ofovens and on a level below that of the carriage, tubular guide means onthe carriage and alignable selectively with each oven for receiving cokefrom an oven and guiding the coke to the quench car, conveyor belt meansin the bottom wall of said tubular guide means for moving coke throughthe guide means, a hood above the quench car and having a side wall onopposite sides and a top wall above the quench car, track means onopposite sides of the quench car on which the hood is rollably mountedparallel to the path of travel of the quench car, the side wall facingthe ovens having an opening communicative with the tubular guide means,means within the hood for spraying water onto the coke in the quenchcar, and flue means on the top wall for venting non-polluting air fromthe interior of the hood.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pendulum flap is suspended fromthe side wall forming the opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hood is substantiallycoextensive with the quench car.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flue'means includes a stack, andmeans for providing a curtain of water around the inlet end of the stackfor washing smoke-laden air leaving the interior of the hood through thestack.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein gas suction means are in the stackfor pulling air out of the hood.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the inlet end of the stack isenclosed within a box-like container in the upper end of the interior ofthe hood, the container including partitions having air-passagestherethrough, and the means for providing the curtain of water beingdisposed between the partitions and the inlet end of the

1. Apparatus for preventing air pollution during discharge of coke fromcoke ovens disposed side-by-side in a row, comprising a carriage movablealong the row of ovens, a quench car movable along a path of travelparallel to and on the side of the carriage opposite that of the row ofovens and on a level below that of the carriage, tubular guide means onthe carriage and alignable selectively with each oven for receiving cokefrom an oven and guiding the coke to the quench car, conveyor belt meansin the bottom wall of said tubular guide means for moving coke throughthe guide means, a hood above the quench car and having a side wall onopposite sides and a top wall above the quench car, track means onopposite sides of the quench car on which the hood is rollably mountedparallel to the path of travel of the quench car, the side wall facingthe ovens having an opening communicative with the tubular guide means,means within the hood for spraying water onto the coke in the quenchcar, and flue means on the top wall for venting non-polluting air fromthe interior of the hood.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pendulumflap is suspended from the side wall forming the opening.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein the hood is substantially coextensive withthe quench car.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flue meansincludes a stack, and means for providing a curtain of water around theinlet end of the stack for washing smoke-laden air leaving the interiorof the hood through the stack.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein gassuction means are in the stack for pulling air out of the hood.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein the inlet end of the stack is enclosedwithin a box-like container in the upper end of the interior of thehood, the container including partitions having air-passagestherethrough, and the means for providing the curtain of water beingdisposed between the partitions and the inlet end of the stack.